It’s that time of the year again.

Movember 2018 is just around the corner, and everyone is raring to begin their month-long shaving hiatus. As we prepare to see the best and wackiest moustaches that Movember 2018 has to offer, this year’s theme, ‘Stop Men Dying Too Young,’ reminds us of the cause we support by putting aside our razors once a year.    

The Movember Foundation has been operational for the past 15 years and is currently the leading men’s health charity in the world. The foundation’s goal coincides with this year’s theme, and over the span of a decade and a half, Movember has funded over 1,200 projects focused on men’s health, with an aim to reduce young men’s mortality rate by 25 percent in the next 12 years.

Movember 2018 objectives   

The Movember Foundation plans to achieve this by focusing on three serious conditions: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. In 2018 alone, 164,690 new cases of prostate cancer, which is the second most common cancer affecting men in America, were reported, and 29,430 people died from it [1]. Close to 10,000 new cases of testicular cancer were diagnosed this year. Although only 1 in 250 men develop testicular cancer in their lifetimes, an approximate 400 deaths have been recorded in 2018 [2].    

The Movember Foundation contributes to biomedical research projects that look for better treatments of prostate cancer and testicular cancer. In addition to that, it runs several initiatives that focus on helping men with mental conditions with a focus on reducing men’s suicide rates.   

Different programs

Changing Rooms is one such program. The football-based project, which was launched this year in April, has worked successfully in bringing together men through a mutual love of football but with an aim to guide them towards better mental health. The program focuses on teaching men how to manage mental health issues like anxiety and depression.   

The Global Action Plan, the foundation’s biggest global initiative, tackles the needs of prostate and testicular cancer patients, ensuring that every patient gets the social, psychological, and physical support needed to increase their survival rates. With such a high success rate in the UK, the project is exploring how intensive exercise can also improve the survival rates of prostate cancer patients.   

TrueNTH is an initiative that was formed under the same principles and is currently the Movember Foundation’s largest global project, serving a total of eight countries. Its main aim is to improve the quality of life for testicular cancer patients and their loved ones. Thus far, the organization has achieved this through improving the availability of healthcare professionals, introducing support programs, and providing useful treatment information to the patients.   

TrueNTH advises a proactive approach to managing testicular cancer through the supported self-management program, which encourages men to perform regular checks on themselves and to look out for symptoms of both testicular and prostate cancer. It has also launched a portal [3] where patients of testicular cancer can access information on how to cope with their condition.    

The Movember Foundation has funded numerous suicide prevention and mental health projects to provide support to men with mental health issues, and to give them the encouragement to talk to others about their problems. In addition to that, the charity also launched Ex-Cell 50+, a re-integration program targeting older male offenders who are looking to set up businesses within the community.    

In summary

As you witness the madness of wild moustaches this Movember, remember that at the heart of the campaign lies a serious cause to curb the premature deaths of young men all over the world. The charity has dedicated itself to bettering the lives of people across the globe by tackling issues that men rarely open up about. As you participate in Movember 2018, you can also help by spreading awareness about the problems that bring about early deaths in men, and how Movember is aiding in their eradication.   

Mayfair, we care.

Sources   

1. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html   

2. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/testicular-cancer/about/key-statistics.html   

3. https://truenth-tc.org

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, are in Sydney as they start their 16-day tour. The widely anticipated tour of Tonga and Fiji from October 23 to 26 has brought the spotlight back on the Zika virus.

The pregnant Meghan Markle had been advised to reschedule the tour itinerary to exclude Fiji and Tonga due to the risk of Zika Infection. 

The Duchess, who is expecting her first child, announced that the tour would go on as planned despite the presence of the dangerous virus. Sources say that the couple took the medical advice and all Zika virus infection concerns into consideration before deciding to proceed with the Southern hemisphere trip.

However, it's worth noting that the Duchess has been told to keep away from the jungles and rainforest of Tonga and Fiji. This is just part of the precautions that the couple is taking in light of the circumstances.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization released a world map defining the areas with risk of Zika infection. The Pacific islands of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands are listed as moderate’ risk.

What is the Zika Virus?

Out of the spotlight recently, the Zika virus is an emerging virus in the Flavivirus family that includes dengue, yellow fever, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses.

The virus was first discovered in Uganda back in 1947. The 1st confirmed infection was realized between 1962-63. The first known outbreak occurred in 2007 in the Western Pacific.

Six years later, another one happened in French Polynesia followed by other minor outbreaks in other Pacific Islands. Zika virus was introduced into Brazil somewhere between 2013 and 2015, causing a large epidemic that peaked in November 2015.   

Zika virus spreads to people mainly through when an infected Aedes mosquito species bites you. The mosquitos that spread the virus can strike at any time during the day.

This virus can be spread during intercourse with an infected person as well as from an expectant mother to her unborn during the pregnancy or even around the time of birth.  Many individuals infected with the virus will not exhibit any symptoms or will only have mild symptoms.

The most prevalent symptoms are fever, joint pain, headache, rash, red eyes, and muscular pain. The symptoms can last for several days to a week. It is rare for a person to get sick enough to require hospitalisation, and death from Zika is very rare.

The main risk of the virus is with regards to pregnant women. This is the primary reason why Meghan and Harry’s South Pacific caused so much concern.  Zika infection during pregnancy can cause congenital disabilities such as microcephaly. Microcephaly is a birth defect whereby the baby’s head is smaller than normal when compared to babies of same sex and age.

There have also been increasing reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome in areas affected by the virus. This is a very uncommon sickness of the nervous system.

The Takeaway 

Overall, there is no vaccine to prevent Zika. The best way to prevent its spread is through protection from mosquito bites. Given that Meghan and Harry have decided to proceed with the tour as scheduled, it is safe to assume that will be taking the necessary precautions to minimize any risk of Zika Infection. As such, all those concerned about the well-being of their Royal Highnesses should rest easy, and equally, all those planning a trip to ‘risk’ areas should carry out full research in advance and take medical advice.

Mayfair, we care.

Everyone gets a bad hair day, but mood hoovers always seem to be in a negative zone, drawing everybody else into it and destroying any good vibes, positive energy and determination.

Unless you are a very special sort of person able to rise above it when you see them, mood hoovers will always suck your energy leaving you deflated and demotivated. There are a lot of them too! Gallup research reveals that 70 % of employees at all workplaces are demotivated.  

Who is a mood hoover?   

These people are always down, walk into a room with slumped shoulders, lack joie de vivre - they are sad, they are tired, bored and lacking in motivation. Mood’s are catching, and mood hoovers always find a way to infect people with their never-ending moaning.   

Are you a mood hoover?    

Are You always complaining about one thing or another? Do you feel lethargic and miserable all the time? Do you focus on the negative things in your life but rarely the positive? Do you feel like nothing motivates you anymore?

Damn, you are a mood hoover!

You are an infestation at your place of work, every person you encounter and everything you exaggerates how you feel and brings others down as well.     

Stop being a Mood Hoover and become a Mood Radiator!   

Think about the people whose life seems full of positivity – wouldn’t you like some of that? Guess what? You can have it with some changes of attitude.

Try to see the good in everything. On a cold sunny day don’t focus on the cold, focus on the clear blue sky. If you buy a new smartphone, don’t focus on the difficulty in setting it up and learning the new technology, focus on how much easier it will make aspects of your life!

 Remind yourself of your best talents and strengths, an achievement you accomplished, or the things you are benefiting from the job you say you don’t like.    

Hang out with positive and optimistic friends, go to the gym, eat a balanced diet and find recreational ways to let go.’ Always see the positive, feel the positive, and express the positive no matter what everyone else thinks.   

How to handle mood hoovers    

Three things you can do to avoid your energy sucked away by these people. But you will need strength especially when the office mood hoover happens to be your best friend.

Repel their negativity   

Brace for impact whenever you encounter mood hoovers. This is the time to remember all those quotes about positivity you ever read. Just don’t allow yourself to be dragged down by what they say.    

If they ask why?’ your reply would be why not? ’

It will never work’ your response would be what do you think would work,

’I hate my job,’ your response would be “what are you still doing here,’ or why don’t you find something that makes you happy?’

There are all manner of answers to throw them off balance, and win them over    

There is a curse of negativity all around. It is not imaginable either - wrong and unfair things are happening every day. Mood hoovers might not have the psychological stamina to withstand and weather the emotional hurricanes - but thank heavens you do.

You could do one better- become a mood radiator so that even the mood hoovers can benefit from your positive energy.   Or avoid them    

If you can do neither of the above, avoid them. Plain and simple. Walk the other way when you see them walking your way. Eventually, they will get the point. Surround yourself with positive , like minded people . It is survival.    Always seek to be the spark that inspires and motivates your colleagues at work.

Everyone hass a bad hair day sometimes; you can be the glue that holds everything together. It is in your best interest to do that.

Remember, Mayfair we care.

Sailors cruise for months on end before ever setting foot on land. If keeping physically and mentally fit is problematic on the ground, then it is a lot worse at sea.

There is no space and work out tools are limited. Motivation can be low, and routines can become dull too quickly. Seafarers must be creative to stay healthy.     

Below are some examples how seafarers, Marine Corps, and cruise vacationers keep fit.   

Stand-up paddle-boarding   

Stand up Paddling is a sea exercise that has been carried down through generations of island communities. This type of water sport / exercise was invented by surfers who were looking for a way to burn calories on board.

Today, many sailors take breaks from their vessels to hit the waters with a board and paddle.    Paddle-boarding engages all the muscles of the body, and all the while your brain will be at work keeping balance and maintaining course.

Your leg muscles and core will come in handy to stabilize your stance on the board. As you paddle, you will be engaging muscles of the arms, shoulders, and back. The fact that paddle boarding requires both mental and physical attention makes it a very useful exercise at sea.   

Kayaking   

Space is the biggest impediment to keeping fit afloat.

Kayaking has paved the way for many sailors and delivers similar fitness results as hiking or treadmill running would on land.

There are portable and inflatable kayaks that don’t take up much space on board but efficiently build muscles on water.

Apart from the foldable and inflatable kayaks, the long and slender hard kayaks are also small enough fit on deck. Kayaking is a moderate exercise that sailors use to relieve stress and strengthen their muscles.   

Kayaking engages muscles on the chest, arms, shoulders, and back. Your core muscles participate in the workout as you rotate your body pushing forwards on the paddle. For an intense exercise, sailors choose to kayak against a current. That is equitable to an extraordinary work out at the gym.  

Canoeing    

Most sailors keep carrying a rowboat on board for making short sea trips while fishing or as an emergency measure when something goes amiss on the big vessel at sea. This same rowboat can be the ideal workout machine at sea.

A daily morning routine on the canoe can help sailors burn calories and attain the right frame of mind.   

Swimming   

Just like rowing and kayaking, swimming is a relaxing exercise that sailors love to indulge. While at sea, you must find conducive waters with less stray currents to cool off the afternoon heat and engage your muscles.   

You can do laps around your boat or ship while racing with your fellow seafarers. That is a chance to have fun while burning calories.

Sometimes you will get a chance to spot beautiful marine life - that makes it more compelling.   

Seafaring is not the laid back and comfortable life that many like to imagine. So far away from home, and so far away from your doctors it falls on you squarely to do everything you can to stay fit both physically and mentally. Swimming, kayaking, and canoeing are some of the ways to stay fit at sea. Either that or you will fall victim to obesity, heart attacks and epidemics in the corners of the world that you traverse.    

Mayfair, we care.

Sources  

 https://www.26thmeu.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/516565/exercise-in-creativity-marines-sailors-stay-fit-aboard-ship/   

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/best-cruises-wellness-health/index.html   

https://www.passagemaker.com/lifestyle/fitness-afloat